Displays at the Exhibit
Acton, Thomas Alan. 1982. Gypsies. Morristown , N.J. : Silver Burdett Co.
Outlines the history of the Romanies and describes contemporary GR&T life throughout the world. One of the best GR&T introductory books aimed at juvenile readers.
Bercovici, Konrad. Against the Sky. New York : Covici, 1932.
Colorful storytelling about Romany life and culture by one of the most prolific and interesting 20th-century writers of fiction and non-fiction.
Brown, Irving. Deep Song: Adventures with Gypsy Songs and Singers in Andalusia and Other Lands, With Original Translations. New York : Harper & Bros., 1929.
One of four books in the "Brown Canon" of excellent Gypsy studies. Brown claimed to be a Gypsy. He was not as prolific a writer as Bercovici, but equally interesting -- and Brown's involvement in Gypsy life and culture during his short lifetime of experiences was much more intimate.
McLynn, Frank. Of No Country: An Anthology of the Works of Sir Richard Burton. London : Scribners, 1990.
Sir Richard Francis Burton was epitome of the Victorian adventurous male. Among his many scholarly interests were GR&T peoples, and he was a founder of the Gypsy Lore Society in 1888.
Clebert, Jean Paul. The Gypsies. Trans. by Charles Duff. New York : Dutton, 1963.
A comprehensive, reader-friendly and fascinating interdisciplinary introduction to Romany life and culture; however, it has been much-maligned by Gypsy scholars and activists.
Fraser, Angus M. The Gypsies. Oxford , UK : Blackwell, 1992. [Catalog record link]
Most scholarly; a favorite of those who dislike the Clebert book.
Masterson , Audrey Nelson. The Day the Gypsies Came to Town. New York : Carnival Press, 1983.
"Abby befriends a young Gypsy boy passing through her Midwestern town in the 1920's." One of a few "positive" juvenile books of fiction involving GR&T peoples.
A souvenir cigarette ash tray depicting a popular "Gypsy Camp" attraction at the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Southern California .
Activists successfully pressured the Farm to close this attraction for its "politically incorrect" depiction of Romany life and culture.
Varble, Rachel M. Marie of the Gypsies. Boston : Little, Brown and Co., 1931.
This is an attractive example of the Art Deco style in the early Depression-era book publishing trade.
"I want a place to stay," she said. "A place where I can get work to do and learn to be an American."
"Well, now," he said, "I guess it's one of those community-center places you have in mind. What's your nationality?"
"Gypsy," said Marie, after the briefest hesitation.
"Hm-m, I thought so. Gypsies don't like places as a rule. If you were Syrian, now, or Polish, I might know where to send you."
"Pretend I'm one of those," said Marie surprisingly.
Sway, Marlene. Familiar Strangers: Gypsy Life in America. Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 1988. [Catalog record link]
One of the "Top five" scholarly books on GR&T peoples in the United States found on university library shelves (thus DX 201).
